It’s nearly impossible to read or watch the news these days without hearing about a significant data security breach. Here’s a list of just some of the most recent high-profile cases (which you’re probably already aware of):
– Sonic drive-through burger chain confirmed a credit card-related data breach.
– Equifax, the credit reporting company, reported that the confidential information of more than 145 million Americans was compromised.
– Deloitte, a company that provides auditing, consultancy, tax, and financial advisory services – including data security! – reported a cyber-attack on some of its clients’ data, including email addresses.

Unfortunately, these companies aren’t alone. These breaches are happening more frequently and their effects can be devastating in terms of revenue, brand equity and reputation, and trust. The healthcare industry is less mature in its technological implementations and overall innovation compared to other industries, making it particularly vulnerable to such attacks.

In fact, it wasn’t until The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, was signed into law in 2009 that the healthcare industry had a true incentive to digitize or upgrade its software – and that was less than ten years ago.

The HITECH Act, meant to promote the adoption and meaningful use of health information technology, resulted in the rapid adoption of new, and often fragmented, technologies across the healthcare industry. But the adoption process did not necessarily prioritize security. Given that even companies that specialize in security or data are getting hacked, now is the time to ask yourself, “Is my healthcare company next?”

Realistically, it could be. You should, of course, start with a data security plan, which will outline what data you collect, how you’ll keep it safe, and how you should manage it in accordance with regulatory compliance. But, true data security requires a much more comprehensive approach that considers not just the data itself, but the people, processes, and technology related to it. For instance:

– Is your technology department appropriately staffed to handle the business processes related to security?
– Do you know how to prioritize your data-related projects and allocate funding?
– Are you planning to execute new projects related to data initiatives and are you sure that those projects will succeed?
– Are you implementing a new security protocol and have you considered the change management tactics required for successful adoption?

If you don’t consider every aspect of your business related to security, you’ll be at risk. Navigate can help to ensure that your organization’s data is protected. If you’re interested in discussing this topic further, please reach out to me at 484.383.0606 or [email protected].